Before NBA duties called him back to Atlanta, Shaquille O’Neal made a quick stop in New York on Monday. No, he’s not got a rematch with ‘The Messiah.’ He was there for his Reebok Veep, little brother, and star of the show he produced, Allen Iverson. The wild persona of The Answer is documented in an Amazon Prime documentary and a memoir. While promoting them, Iverson made a significant revelation about his life, which somewhat stunned the big guy.

While on the press tour for Prime’s Allen Iv3rson and his memoir, Misunderstood, AI divulged he quit alcohol six months ago. This subject is quite personal to Shaq, having dealt with alcoholism in his family. He was caught off guard a tad when he was asked about it at the show’s premiere.

“I didn’t see that. I didn’t know anything was wrong, but he knows that if he ever needs me, all he has to do is call me, but I’m proud of him,” Shaq said after talking about AI’s impact on NBA culture.

Shaq was once in Tawanna Turner’s shoes, who recently reunited with AI after divorcing him years ago due to personal issues. While the NBA legend doesn’t drink much, he admitted popping champagne with his dad, Philip Harrison, when he won his four championships. But he doesn’t drink in public out of concern for his mother.

Lucille O’Neal battled alcohol addiction in the past. It was Big Diesel who helped her get sober, go to college, and get his old, philanthropic, and strict mom back.

“If you go to college and you keep your grades up, I promise I’ll pay your tuition,” Mama O’Neal once revealed what her son told her. The big guy personally knows how difficult it is. So Iverson’s news probably would’ve struck a chord.

Allen Iverson’s sobriety ‘decision’ is personal for Shaquille O’Neal

While the effects weren’t apparent, AI revealed that he was dealing with fuzziness, missing flights, and even getting talked into giving cash and expensive gifts to acquaintances when he’s drunk. But years later, he’s a better version of himself and with Tawanna again.

Iverson’s decision not to drink has humorously cost Shaquille O’Neal a few hundred thousand, though. He had a bad case of FOMO when Charles Barkley, Ernie Johnson, and Kenny Smith joined the rest of the TNT crew at the local watering hole. To find something to do after hours, he bought an entire hookah bar in Atlanta to hang out at! Despite his personal decision, O’Neal invested in the Shark Tank business, Beatbox, which is part of Mark Cuban’s portfolio.

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Allen Iverson also discovered he didn’t need to drink to party. “When you get drunk, you’re not how you usually are. The more I see it on other people, the more it makes me happy about the decision. And the more I see how the people around me appreciate it, I love it,” he said, marking six months of sobriety.

Shaq may not have been aware of this deeply personal development, but he was privy to The Answer’s larger-than-life impact. His banner, Jersey Legends Productions, has collaborated with Stephen Curry‘s Unanimous Media to produce the Prime series, Allen Iv3rson, which made its film festival circuit premiere this week, ahead of the streaming debut on Thursday. It mattered both to Shaq and Curry to show Iverson’s authentic personality to the world.